Signaling system



Nov. 30, 1926. 1,608,521

H. W. O NEILL SIGNALING SYSTEM Filed May 1. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnvenfa n' Henry I! ilk/W Nov. 30 1926.

H. w. ONEILL SIGNALING SYSTEM 2 3heets-Sheet 2 Im K R1 Original Filed May 1, 1923 Nu N\\ \NA "Mu I m L112. mg .n\\

Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

-I-IENRY \V. ONEILL, OF ELMI-I URST, NE'W YORK, ASSIGN'OR Ti) WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SIGNALING SYSTEM Original application filed May 1. 1923. Serial Nof635f829. Divided and th s application filed G-ctober 3, 1924. Serial No. 741,320.

This invention relates to telephone systems and more particularly to signaling'circuits employed in handling toll connections of the so-called coin box pay station types. Such a system is shown in my copending application, Serial No. 635,829, filed May 1, 1.923 (which became Patent 1,579,731, April h, 1926), and of which this'application 1s a division. y

Hereto'tore, in the handling of actual coin transactions in connection with certain kinds of toll or longdistance service from stations of the so-ca led prepayment coin box type, it has been necessary to have the attention of two or more operators. In situations where it may be desired that the charges for a toll connection be collected at a called station rather than at a station at which the call may have originated it has usually been necessary for a tolloperator at the originating point to call and repeat the particulars of the call to a toll operator at the inward or terminating point, and the latter operator then proceeds to handle the call in substantially the same manner in which a call originating at the called station would have been handled. This renders it possible torthe toll operator to obtain the assistance of a trunk or toll switching operator, also the assistance of atandein operator on built up trunk connections, relative to the disposal of coins, such as their 'returnto a patron on incompleted calls, or the collec- .tion of the coins within the coin box on calls which may be successfully completed;

It is broadly an object of this invention to provide a supervisory signaling arrangement for improving and expediting the service in the establishing,maintaining, controlling; and disestablishing otytoll connections of the above type.

This object is attained in accordance with one feature of the invention by the provision of a plurality of high frequency current respon ive relays at the various switching points arranged to be controlled to effect response of corresponding supervisory signals atsaid points. 7

Another feature of the invention resides in the control of supervisory signals in a certain manner depending on the method of setting up a desiredconnection of the above type.

vAnother feature provides for dual equip originating operator at E inserts nient ontoll switching trunlrs whereby either tollswitching operator or a toll operator may control certain supervisory operations.

Still another feature provides means whereby atoll operator may signal and 'spealr-to a toll switching operator for the purpose ot verifying or checking numbers,

class of service, changing a connection or to instruct the toll switching operator to carry out certain supervisory operations.

I The above and other features of the invention may be readily understood from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.

Reterrin to the accompanying drawings, 1 shows equipment at Cforthe inward end of a trunk circuit L and equipment at a coin boir subscribers station A, while in Fig. 2 a toll operators cord circuit is shown atE and an inward or through toll oper atorsi cord circu1t1s shown at D.

{It will be assumed that a connection from the outward toll operato-rs position at E is to be built up over a toll line L by way of the cord circuit at tlie inward toll position D, and the trunk circuit L to the line circuit of the station A.

i; Assuming further that on the present call the charges are to be reversed or collected at the called station A,in accordance with the system shown and fully described in my copending application mentioned above, the 7 plug 201 into jack 202 of the toll line L and by operating a signaling key 230, asignal (not shown) will be dis layed at the distant point In'response to this signal, the operator at D inserts plug 101 into jack 102 of the line L and by the peration of a talking l Iey, (not shown) may communicate with the operator at E and receive request for a connection with the subscriber at station A. The inward operator at D then employs an order wire, not shown) to relay the request to atoll switching operator at C 'who has access to the line A. The toll switching operator Ina assign the trunk L for use in establishing): the connection and thereupon insert plug; 3 into jack l.- of the called'line, while the operator at D inserts plug 105 into inch 106 of the assigned toll switching trunk.

Theyinsertion of plug 105 into jack 106, estalrilishes circuit for a relay 50 which p aths extend.

may be traced from grounded battery, resistance element and left hand winding of relay 50, normal right hand make-beforebrealq contacts of relay 75, upperright hand winding of repeating coil 85, tip contacts of jack 106 and plug 105, upper left hand winding of repeating coil 110, windingsof relay 120, lower left hand winding of repeating coil 110, ring contacts of plug 105 and jack' 106, lower right hand winding of repeating coil 85, normal left hand make-betore-break contacts of relay 75 and thence to ground through a resistance element and the right hand winding of relay 50.

:Relay 50 in its operated position applies grounded battery through its right hand contact, to conductor 9 from which three branch The first may be traced through the winding of a relay 25 and the normally closed. contacts of the circuit [controlling element associated with relay 10 to ground; the second path extends through the winding of a relay E20 and thence to ground through the normal contacts of the circuit controlling element of relay 5, while the third path extends through the winding of a relay and thence to ground through the normal contacts of the circuit controlling element associated with relay 1. The relays 15, and respond and continue actuated since the contacts ot the relays 1, 5 and 10 are normally closed and may separate only, during periods when alternating currents-of proper respective frequencies may be applied to their windings,

as, presently will appear.

"Assuming that the call signal at the stationA has been operated in a manner presentlyto be described, and response received, the. acceptance of the: collect call by the sub scriber is obtained by the operator at E, who

' further requires the deposit of the necessary amount in coins in the coin box as shown in in y" copending application mentioned above.

According to the system disclosed in this copending application, it will be apparent that a cord circuit similar to the cord at E may be ]O1Ill directly to the trunk L as in "connecting a calling subscribers station directly from an outward operators position, and that the same procedure and operations may efi'ect the collecting or refunding oi"- coins at the station A while the reception of signals by the toll operator may also be had in a similar manner. The present invention provides for the control of the contacts of plug 1 and jack 0 the toll line L the operator at E may actuate the ringingkey 230 thereby applying currents of 700 and 1100 cycles from sources 233 and 284', respectively, togthe main conductors of the connection. These currents may traverse a path extending from the sources-233 and 234, normal contacts or" keys 275 and 280, upper and lower alternate conacts of key 230, tip and ring contacts of plug 201 and jack 202, line conductors of line L tip and ring contacts of jack 102, and plug 101, through the re seating coil 110, tip and ring contacts of plug 105 and jack 106 and thence through the windings of relays 1, 5 and 10. Relays 1 and 5 re spondto the incoming frequencies and effect the release of relays 15 and 20 whereupon a circuit may be traced from grounded battery,

front contact and right hand armature of relay 50, conductor 9, winding of relay 18, armature and back contact of relay l5, innermost armature and back contact of relay 20, innermost armature and front contact of relay 25, conductor 39, to ground through tl'ie'winding of relay i0. Relay 410 operates and disconnects the main conductors of the connection in establishing a circuit which may be traced from a source of grounded ringing current 31, front contact and lower armature of relay 10, lower armatures and back contacts of relays and 35, ring members of plug 3 and jack fl, signaling apparatus at station A, tip members of aclr A and plug 3, upper armatures and front contacts of relays 30 and 35, upper armatures and front contacts of relays and 40 to ground.

The relay 15 having operated when the connection was established by a circuit from battery, winding of relay 45, through sleeve 7 to ground.

Having described the manner in which the subscriber at a substation may be signaled by the toll operator at E, attention will now be directed to the manner in which further supervision is obtained in a system of the above type and in accordance with the preseut invention.

The insertionoit plug 201 into ack 202 as hereinbefore described, established a circuit which may be traced from grounded battery through the circuit c iiiti olliug elements associated with relays 250 and 255,'the contacts of key 253, armature and upper contact of relay 260, the lower winding of relay 260. conductor 262, and thence to ground. over the sleeve members of plug 201 and jack 202. It will be noted that under this circuit condition, relay 265 is shunted by the battery current just traced through the circuit controlling elements of relays 250 and 255 and the relay 265 therefore continues inert at this time. A. relay 270 may operate however in a circuit extending from grounded battery, armature and back contact of relay 265, winding of relay 270, upper windmg or relay 260, conductor 262, to ground Qn erthe sleeve inei nb ers of plug 201 and jack y y The insertion of plug 101 into jack 102 at D and the actuation of a talking key (not shoyvn') but whi'ch may be assumed as also controlling side contacts 115 thereby eflects completion of a circuit which may be traced from grounded battery, c'ircuit controlling eleinents associated ivith relays 135 and 145, contacts of key 114, Winding of relay 150, my contacts 115, sleeve inelnbers of plug 101 and jack 102 to ground. Relay 150 operates and locksup inthe same circuit as effected its initial energizatidn except that the right hand armature and front contact of this relay are substituted. for thc "key contacts 115. The energization of relay 150 prevents the illumination of lainp 109 at this time.

Insertion of plug 105 has jack 106 completes an energizing circuit for relay as heretofore described and assuming thatplug 105 hasbeen inserted in the jack 106 at in advance of tie insertion of plug 3 into jack {1 atTC, the resulting opera-ted condition of the relay 50 ma hs inert cond1t1on of the relay 45, perinit groi'inded battery to now through a lamp signal 7 lower ariature and back contact'of relay 4:5, lefthand Winding of relay to groundthrough the front coni tact and left hand armature of relay 50. The

illumination of amp 7 inthi'sfinstance serves as a guard signal to inform the operator at C that the trunk L has been taken for use at its outer end.

Relay 75 operat-es in the circuit just traced nalto the operator at D indicating that the connection has notloeen completed at the point C, in other words, that the hue or the called subscriber has not yet been connected.

When the called subscribers lineistaken by the insertionof plug 3 into fjack hthe circu t for relay 75 is opened at the lower contacts of relay 45 and relay V75 releases to restore the original polarity in theloop formed of line IR thereby effecting operation of re- 1ay120'toenergize the lamp 107 over an obvlous'circuit.

the Winding of relay 125. Momentary response of therelay 125due to the charging of thecondeiiser disconnects alternating current relays 185 and 145 and applies alterof relay 75 reverses second from sources 133 and 13 1 respectively, to the main conductors of the cord circuit at D whereupon correspondingly tunedrelays 250 and 255 are actuated over a circuit extending from the sources 133 and 134i, alternate contacts and alrlnatures of relay 125, tip and ring members of plug 101 and jack 102, line conductors of line L tip and ring contacts of jack 202 and plug 201, Q pper and lower normal contacts of keys 230, 205 and 220 thence through windings of relays 250 and 255. These relays are actuated and momentarily disconnect battery from the lower Winding of relay260 so that the current present throughthe upper winding of relay 260 causes the armature of this relay to contact "with the lower alternate contact. On cessation of the impulse of alternating "currents the relays 250 and 255 restore andbattery is again connected tojthe arniature of relay 260 now contacting with its lower contact so that relay 270 will be shunted thereby releasing its armature to complete a circuit for relay 265 extending from grounded battery, armature and back contact of relay 270, Winding of relay 265, lower Winding of relay 260, conductor 262 to ground ovel' sleeve contacts or plug 201 and jack202. Relay 265, in operating, establishes an obvious circuit for lamp 227. Theillumination of lamp 227 indicates to the operator at E that the connection has been extended tothe line of the called party and she inay proceed to ring the called party by operating key 230, the effect of which heretofore been described.

WVhenthe subscriberat A responds to the signal and removes the receiver l roin the stvitchhook, a circuit for relay is established from grounded battery winding of relay 80, resistance element and lower left hand Winding of repeating coil 85,; back contact and lower arlnature of relay 4-0, lower armatures and back contacts of relays 30 and 35 ring meinhers of plug 3 and jack 4,li11e loop and 'apparatis at station A, tip inernbersor" jack 4: and plug 3, upper arinatures and back contacts of relays 30 and 35, upper armature and front contact of relay 45, upper armature and back contact of relay 10 to ground through the upper left hand winding of repeating coila'nd theresistance element associated therewith. Theoperation of relay 80 causes the'actuation of relay 7 5 in a'circuit extending from grounded battery, right hand Winding of relay 75 front contactan d arina- 'ture of relay 80, left hand Winding of relay 75, to ground over the front contact and left hand armature of relay 50. The actuation thecurrentpolarity in the loop of the trunk L causing the release of relay 120 to deenergize the lamp 107. At

g y y the instant thecontactsof relay 120 sepanating currents at 900'a-I'1'd 1700cycles per rate, the discharge ot'the condenser 121 through lamp 10'. and relay 125 causes a momentary response or relay 125 to eflect a corresponding application of the 900 and 17 00 scribed. The'resulting disconnection of current from the armature and upper winding of relay 260 permits the current now flowing in the lower winding of this relay to move the armature to its upper contact whereupon current from the battery associated with the circuit controlling elements of relays 250 and 255 on restoral of these relays, will shunt and eflect release of the relay 265, whereupon the energizing circuit forlamp 227'is interrupted and battery will be reconnected through the winding of relay 270 by way of the upper winding of the relay 260.

In the present assumed talking condition of the connection, the signal lamps 7, 107, 109 and 227 at their respective points are extinguished, The signal lamp 237 will also be extinguished due to the polarity of current in a toll switching trunk, not shown, but which would ordinarily be present at the right hand side and joined to that end (not shown) of the cord circuit at E. r A polar relay 285 serves to control the lamp 237 on such a connection.

Should the party at station A flash th switchhook thereat, corresponding responses of relays 80 and 75 at C. 120 and 125 at D, 250, 255, 260, 265 and 270 at E will cause the lamps 107 and 227 to be flashed at the points D and E respectively. The condition of these lamps with respect to the last movement of the switchhook in the flashing operation will depend on whether the subscriber at A abandons the connection by placing the receiver on its switchhook or whether in wishing to reach an operator, the party may retain the receiver off its switchhooln In the former case, the lamps will continue lighted while in the latter the lamps will stand extinguished.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that disconnection atthe station A will result in the illumination of lamps 107 and 227. This will serve as a disconnect signal at the point E but not necessarily so at the point D where under traflic procedure for any situation where it may be desired, an operator at such a point may disconnect only on receipt of a signal from the operator at E as may be displayed on the lamp 109. The operator at D may adhere to the indications of signal lamp 109 at all times except in cases where flashing of the signal 107 or the steady display of this signal may continue beyonda reasonable length of time, and render it advisable for this operator to cut in on the connection and disconnect or take such steps as appear necessary in case the call constitutes a check b means of a tandem arrangement relative to a plurality of operators on one and the same connection and insures more immediate release of important toll line circuits so that they may not be unnecessarily held.

In case the operator at E may desire the attention of the operator at D on a connection, the actuation of a master key 275 followed by successive operations of the ring ing' key 230 in a manner to correspond with flashing ett'ects or intermittent applications or alternating currents of 1500 and 1300 cycles from the sources 235 and 236 to the line L may effectcorresponding responses of the alternating current relays 135 and 1&5 at D. As already described, the relay 150 may be assumed to be in its operated position. Therefore, the first response of relays 185 and 14:5 will disconnect battery to permit the restoration of relay 150 to separate its right hand or locking contacts while the lamp 109 may be illuminated over an obviouscircuit from the grounded-sleeve strand of the cord through the left hand normal contacts of relay 150 and the contacts 0t relays 135 and 14:5 to grounded battery. Following the first response of relays 135 and 1 1-5, each subsequent energization thereof due to flashing of the distant key 230 disconnects the battery to extinguish the lamp 109. Obviously, the lamp 109 will :lash in phase with movements of the key 230 In actuating the talking key (not shown) at D in response to this signal, the contacts 115 will be closed to initially energize relay 150 which immediately locks and extinguishes thelamp 10.9 as hereinbefore described. 7

It may be noted that the 1500 cycle current ot the 1300 and 1500 cycle impulses just described in connection with the operations of relays 135 and 1415 .at D may also eflect an idle operation 01"? relay 10 at C. The operation of this relay will be without eiiect, however, as during the released period of relay 25, the lead 19 will stand disconnected at the normal contact of relay 15, lead 29 will stand open at the left hand normal contact of relay 20 while lead 39 will be open at the right hand forward contact or" relay 25 and also at the normal contacts of relays 15 and 20 while thelead to relay 95 will stand open at the normal contacts of relays 15 and 20; r

In situations where it maybe desired that an operator at D may regularly disconnect on display of the signal 109 only, an operator at E may proceed as already described for the flashing operation except that a single operation only of the ringing key 230 will be-reqnired. This will effect release of relay 150 to light the signal lamp 109, the

steady display of which will indicate that the cord at that point may be taken down irrespective of the condltion of the signal 107 thus insuring immediate release of the 1.5;20 and 25 also results from the separau tion of the rlgnt hand contacts of relay 50.

In response to the display of signal '7, the operator at C removes plug from jack at whereupon the apparatus at this point restores to normal. 7

From thei oregoing description, it will be clear that for connections where the cord circuit at B may be employed directlyivith a circuit such as trunk L as would be done in reachinga local or home subscriber, the relay 285 ane associated lamp 237 may serve in the same manner the relay 120 and lamp 10. to display a guard, ringing, and a flashing or disconnect signal.

At the point C, key 93 may be controlled by a toll switching operator at this point torringing on a line tofwhich plug 3 may be connected. In situations where positions or offices not provided with equipment simi lar to that shown at E, may have access to trunk circuits of the present type terminating at the point 0, requests by way of an order wire circuit may be made relative to the operator at the latter point carrying out ringing control operations, etc. However, the present system provides means whereby a calling operator may operate a signal associated with a trunk circuit so that the toll switching operator may come in on the circuit by means of the key 48 and receive instruction directly over this line relating to ringing control operations, etc.

Assuming that a connection is established from the point E to the point C, the operator at E may actuate a second master key 280 and then operate the ringing key 230. A resulting application of alternate currents at 700, 1100 and 1500 cycles from sources 23 i and n35 will effect the joint response of relays 1, 5 and to release the associated relays 15, and at C. Battery may then extend from conductor 9, winding of relay 18, normal contacts of relay 15, the innermost normal contacts of relays 20 and 25, thence through the normal contacts and winding of relay 95 to ground through normal contacts on the talking key 48. On response of relay 95, its forward contacts form a self-locking circuit and effect the illumi nation of call lamp 4t? in series with the winding of this relay. Depression or the key 48 when the toll switching operator responds to such a signal, disconnects the ground to release the relay 95 and thereby extinguish the lamp e7. Such calls as have been referred to are mainly indicated to, ex

pedite the service relative to providing. that copending application mentioned above. In

connection with or aside from such coin box pay station service, an originating toll on on a so-called person-to-person call where the called party may not be at the station signaled may, on info mation ob, tained from such station, signal-in and request the toll switching operator to'changc the connection of the trunk circuit to the line of another station at which the informa tion obtained may indicate that the person wanted may he found. In situations where it may be desired, the associated order Wire may be dispensed with, and a toll operator on either a direct or a built-up connection may call and talk to the toll switching operator over the trunk circuit in requesting that the trunk circuit be connected to the line of a station under call.

The purpose of the ground connection from the lowermost forward contacts of re lays and by way of the resistance 94 is to provide for retaining supervisory relay 80 and thereby the relay 75, during periods in which coin operation control may be under way through either one of the relays 30 or 35 as described in the above mentioned copending application. This insures that a premature disconnect signal will not be returned and manifested on the signal 107 at D and on the signal 227 at E.

In regard to the employment of a plurality of alternating currents and a corresponding number of respectively tuned relays for the translation of signals, the requirement relative to joint response of two or more relays before translation may be affected, is mainly to insure that voice currents may not become effective during the period of conversation to establish a premature of false signaling effect. The various frequencies indicated have been chosen mainly for convenience in illustrating and describing the system.

The key 253 at E provides that the operator may predeterminedly affect the signal 227 during the period of connection, that is, assuming the lamp 227 to be lighted, momentary depression of the non-locking key 253 may cause the lamp to be extinguished by thus removing battery from the armature and upper winding of relay 260, while conversely, assuming the lamp to be extin guished, momentary depression of the key 253 removes battery from the armature and lower winding of relay 260 whereupon the lamp 227 will be lighted. Ordinarily, the manual setting of the signal 227 will not be required and the key 253 is provided only for rare or unusual situations where irregularity may result in the signal being positioned out of sequence or phase relation to the signaling effects described.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In a telephone system, first, second and third switching points, a substation, trunk,

'cord and line circuits, switching means at said points for associating said circuits with each other and said trunk with said substation, aplurality of relays at said third point, signaling means controlled thereby, a plurality of current sources at said second point, and means responsive to the association of said trunk with said substation at said first point for momentarily applying said current sources to the line at said second point for selectively actuating said relays to effect the actuation of said signaling means at said points for associating said circuits with each other and said trunk with said substation, a plurality of relays at said third point, means at said second point responsive to the association of said trunk with said substation for selectively operating said relays at said third point, and signaling means at said third point actuated upon the restoration of said relays subsequent to a momentary actuation thereof.

3. In a telephone system, inward and outward switching points, an intermediate switching point, link circuits for interconnecting said points, a subscribers line terminating at said inward point, a plurality of signaling devices at said intermediate point, means controlled from said subscribers line for eiiecting the operation of one of said signaling devices, and means controlled at In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29 day of September A. D, 1924.

HENRY W. ONEILL. 

